5 tips to make your garden more wildlife friendly

Posted on 21st January 2017 by Sofa Bed Sofa

Did you know today is Squirrel Appreciation Day? So in honour of these little furry friends we decided it’s time to leave the sofa, grab the gardening gloves back out of the shed, and get ready to make the garden that little bit more homely for all natures’ wildlife.

Here are 5 tips to create a garden that’s more wildlife friendly:

1 - A Little place to call home.
The most obvious way to introduce more wildlife into your garden is to create a home they want to live in. So pin up a few bird boxes around the garden, but make sure they are positioned safely away from predators, like pet cats or dogs. Provide bird feed and water for them too, it will take time but you will get little renters living in there soon enough.

2 - Long grass.
By keeping the grass a little longer than usual creates a fantastic environment for many bugs and insects. This also allows butterflies a place to lay their eggs and flowers like dandelions to grow which attract bees. Why not also scatter wildflower seeds to create a meadow land feature in your garden.

3 - Introduce water into your garden.
Best way to do this is with a pond but any container of water will do. Water is a main factor of life and providing somewhere for wildlife to take a sip of fresh, unchlorinated water is fantastic. If a pond is not viable in your garden anything which can hold a small body of water will suffice; an old container, a bird bath, an old dustbin lid or you could even bury a bucket. Just ensure there are twigs and stones are there to help wildlife in and out.

4 -Compost.
Healthy soil is good for everything growing on the ground and everything living in it. Compost bins allows you to get rid of your food waste turning it into feed for your soil. Just turn the waste every week or so with a fork and in a year voila you have compost. Sounds so easy it makes you wonder why you haven’t done it sooner!

5 -Fences and Hedges.
The gateway to the glorious wildlife friendly paradise you have created, so make sure it is accessible. Fences are best with holes or gaps in the bottom so hedgehogs and frogs can pass through. It’s also a top tip to trim your bushes during the winter months. This will mean you aren’t disturbing any nesting birds or any other wildlife living in the bushes.

But if you’re not ready to get out in your garden just yet don’t fret (it is winter still after all), you can plan your garden from your sofa! Grab the laptop and start to plan, make lists of what you need and where it will go. If you start now you will have all the seeds and bulbs ready for planting in spring.

Here's some images to get you inspired for you new wildlife friendly garden.

What wildlife do you like to see in your garden? We’d love to know, either comment below or leave us a post on our Facebook page, link here www.facebook.com/sofabedsofa